Back to reality

And there it goes!

With the ever-present curse of the post-show blues now well and truly kicking in following two months’ worth of hard work on last week’s production of Equus with the Students’ Union Theatre Group, things are slowly starting to sink back into the realms of reality – and nothing is better at forcing me to do so than the looming assignment deadlines just around the corner which I’ve been putting off for directing’s sake!

Following an awesome couple of final shows, during which the cast of the show reached heights we could never have foreseen at the start of the process, and then a couple of hours spent helping the staging society, StageSoc, take down the huge set we’d requested and seen built for us (at the time it seemed right, but having to deconstruct it we regretted it!), we headed on over to the traditional after-show party at one of the cast’s house to finally unwind, sit back and reflect on what we’d accomplished or otherwise.

Needless to say plenty of emotional speeches were given (mostly by a choked-up production team – this one’s going to be tough to let go of!), presents and awards were handed out to everyone who made it happen (cast, crew and techies!), and a great time was had by all – well, up until the point we woke up next morning to the glaring knowledge the show’s all over!

I was lucky enough to be given refreshments and a signed photo frame with pictures of the show by the brilliant and generous cast; thanks guys!

Putting on the play has been a massive team effort from the beginning, so it was great to celebrate with the people who made it happen!

It always initially feels strange (and fairly deflating!) knowing that so much time and effort (I counted up the rehearsal hours we’d undergone over the seven weeks: 136, ahh!) has gone into something so fleeting, but as with much of the time you spend at University I guess, it’s all about the journey you go on (particularly the case in finding your feet in first year) and how that morphs the end result.

I’m delighted to say that, with Equus, we’re hugely proud of the show and we feel we’ve done pretty well on both fronts, having had a brilliant run with a truly remarkable set of people who made the rehearsal process of a dark text enjoyable and very gratifying indeed, ending up (somehow!) with some quality theatre at the end of it all, as testified by some glowing reviews from both local and student press. Discussing if we’d make any changes to it all in retrospect, my team and I concluded that if we could do undergo the process again, we wouldn’t change a thing!

But, at the same time, the first show of my third year here (one of a smaller number than last time round hopefully; I’m trying to moderate it a little more this year!) has been and gone, a striking reminder for me that I don’t have as much time left studying in Southampton as I might like. As if seeing a second batch of freshers into the uni didn’t make me feel old enough!

In many ways I’m quite lucky to have a fourth year of study here lined up, being on a Software Engineering Masters course, but it’s going to be quite an eerie experience watching many of my friends – and all of my housemates – graduate at the end of the year and depart for distant climes, and it’ll be weird not having them around all the time to pester or procrastinate doing far more productive activities with!

On the flip side, because life at University is as fluid as it is, I’ve found that I’ve positively racked up opportunities, experiences and friendships just through saying ‘yes’ every so often – there’s always a deluge of things to do, despite never having seemingly enough time in which to do them! Just reflecting on how much has been achieved in the calendar year of 2013 alone from a personal standpoint, it’s implicative of how easy it is to flesh out your life and come away from University with more than a couple of stories to tell the next time you find yourself in both an informal context and an interview room – and luckily, I’m only just over halfway through my University career!

It was a privilege to direct such a truly talented and fun group!

So although I jest that I’m going back to a life of deadlines and constant wishing I was back in the director’s chair of my favourite play (well, I will miss it!), I know that something new, fresh and exciting is awaiting me around the corner, a new challenge or chance to step out of the comfort zone, which means life will continue to go onwards and upwards!

And just as plays, groups and assignments come and go, so do blog writers! You may have noticed that I’ve recently been joined by a fresh set of faces on here, and soon you’ll be hearing from new writers for Life at Southampton in the form of James, Tayler and Kristin, all of whom I greatly enjoyed meeting the other week. I can’t wait to find out what they’ve been up to during their time in Southampton so far, and indeed hear about their experiences in the months to come – after all, it’s difficult to live here without picking up a few stories along the way, such is the amount that goes on!

Now, back to reality – in the shape of those looming deadlines...!

Robin